In the pack everyone and everything is valued—the young, the old—they all have roles to play. The Alphas lead until they are no longer able, but they aren’t driven out but cared for until they’re gone. Those who leave are the young who need to start their own packs, usually because they know the territory will no longer sustain the numbers even when nature itself controls the birthrate and mortality.

It takes a trained eye and close observation to know where the pack is. They don’t leave much trace, just footprints, “extra” from kills that the scavengers themselves need to survive, and song. Their own role in the ecosystem is valuable to control the ruminant herds and the rodents—rabbits, voles, etc.—and that helps to control the size of litters for foxes and coyotes, even the size of flocks of vultures and raptors.

Wolves don’t make war on other packs or species. They don’t destroy their environment. They are true stewards of the earth and models of society. I wish we humans were more like them.

The moon is rising. Time to howl.

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